The Illusion of Overclocking Support

Author: Dennis Garcia

Published: Monday, May 12, 2014

Introduction

People that have followed this site and Ninjalane.com before it will know that I’m an overclocker. For awhile I had a fairly active team and even attempted to qualify for some of the larger overclocking events like the MSI MOA and a few Gigabyte competitions. As with any hobby things tend to start small while you are learning and grow with your interest.

My introduction into overclocking was out of curiously and the allure of free performance. Since then I have overclocked almost everything from a 3DFX Voodoo card to a handful of specialized video cards including the MSI Lightning and EVGA Classified. Motherboards and processors tend to be what I overclock the most and I find enjoyment in tweaking and tuning systems for the best performance and sometimes, to the edge of stability.

One thing I have noticed over the years is a distinct lack of support when it comes to overclocking. Now, don’t get me wrong, this article isn’t so much about the hardware but rather the actions hardware makers take when it comes to the end game. To help explain my points I’ll provide a little background which should not only illustrate my point but, also lay the groundwork for what needs to change.

Do we really need Overclocking?

The benefits to overclocking can vary depending on your system configuration and top end hardware will always give you better performance. However, the whole hardware system has been plagued with diminished returns as the technology continues to outpace commercial need. Of course this begs the question, why do we keep doing it?

For years hardware makers have been taking advantage of what hardware enthusiast have been doing. Case modding and Water cooling are both good examples of how an active community can actually influence what a hardware maker does and even force them to build what the community wants.